Across grades K–3, the percentage of students below literacy benchmarks decreases more from BOY to EOY in earlier grades than in grade 3¶

Claim · All claims
Evidence · 1 study · associational r2 · q2
Currency · newest study 2023 · not yet checked against its sources · not reviewed by a person · recheck by 2028: baselines and conditions change

Subclaims¶

q2 i? From BOY to EOY, scores below benchmark decreased by 19 percentage points in kindergarten, 16 in grade 1, 13 in grade 2, and 4 in grade 3. → Lemke 2023

Evidence¶

Lemke 2023¶

Lemke, M., Murphy, D., Soo Ping Chow, A., Spencer, H., & Zhang, A. (2023). Supporting students early: Findings from initial analysis of student progress in early literacy in Massachusetts. WestEd. https://eric.ed.gov/?id=ED638614

q2 · i? · associational · r2

Analysis of 2020/21 and 2021/22 district-provided screening assessment data from Massachusetts grantee schools. The brief reports "decreased by 19 percentage points for kindergarten students" down to 4 points for grade 3, with 42–46 percent below benchmark at EOY.

"the percentage of scores below literacy benchmarks from BOY to EOY decreased by 19 percentage points for kindergarten students, 16 percentage points for students in grade 1, 13 percentage points for students in grade 2, and 4 percentage points for students in grade 3"

Discussion¶

Related Claims¶

• Most students identified as significantly below benchmark on early literacy screeners remain significantly below benchmark 1 and 2 years later — the general claim this finding bears on, with the studies behind it
• Students at later grade levels were more likely to remain at risk across school years than students at earlier grade levels — related
• Kindergarten students showed the largest BOY-to-EOY decline in significant risk identification, dropping 21 percentage points — possibly the same claim (merge candidate)
• The percentage of Massachusetts K–3 students identified as significantly below benchmark decreased from 36 percent at BOY to 29 percent at EOY in 2022/23 — a broader claim this one bears on
• Risk status tends to persist: 75 percent of students significantly below benchmark at BOY remained so at EOY, and earlier grades showed lower year-to-year persistence — related
• About 60 percent of students significantly below benchmark at BOY remained so at EOY, and improving to benchmark by MOY predicted meeting benchmark at EOY — related
• Most students at risk at BOY remain at risk later, but students who meet benchmark by midyear tend to stay on track — related
• Risk status is largely stable within the year, but 40 percent of students at risk at beginning of year met benchmark by end of year, and students on track by middle of year were significantly more likely to meet the end-of-year benchmark — related
• The percentage of students who stay at risk across time periods increases across grade levels K–3 — related